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IMDbPro

Platoon

  • 19861986
  • RR
  • 2h
IMDb RATING
8.1/10
420K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
444
66
Charlie Sheen, Willem Dafoe, John C. McGinley, and Kevin Eshelman in Platoon (1986)
30 second Trailer
Play trailer0:31
6 Videos
99+ Photos
DramaWar
Chris Taylor, a neophyte recruit in Vietnam, finds himself caught in a battle of wills between two sergeants, one good and the other evil. A shrewd examination of the brutality of war and th... Read allChris Taylor, a neophyte recruit in Vietnam, finds himself caught in a battle of wills between two sergeants, one good and the other evil. A shrewd examination of the brutality of war and the duality of man in conflict.Chris Taylor, a neophyte recruit in Vietnam, finds himself caught in a battle of wills between two sergeants, one good and the other evil. A shrewd examination of the brutality of war and the duality of man in conflict.
IMDb RATING
8.1/10
420K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
444
66
  • Director
    • Oliver Stone
  • Writer
    • Oliver Stone
  • Stars
    • Charlie Sheen
    • Tom Berenger
    • Willem Dafoe
  • Director
    • Oliver Stone
  • Writer
    • Oliver Stone
  • Stars
    • Charlie Sheen
    • Tom Berenger
    • Willem Dafoe
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 673User reviews
    • 137Critic reviews
    • 92Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Top rated movie #212
    • Won 4 Oscars
      • 24 wins & 15 nominations total

    Videos6

    Platoon: Blu-ray Release
    Trailer 0:31
    Watch Platoon: Blu-ray Release
    Memorable Military Moments in Film
    Clip 1:27
    Watch Memorable Military Moments in Film
    Platoon: Under Fire
    Clip 1:10
    Watch Platoon: Under Fire
    Platoon: Helicopter Aid
    Clip 1:36
    Watch Platoon: Helicopter Aid
    Platoon: This Is Hell
    Clip 1:21
    Watch Platoon: This Is Hell
    Jeffrey Wright's Top 3 Films on Veterans and Their Military Experience
    Video 2:00
    Watch Jeffrey Wright's Top 3 Films on Veterans and Their Military Experience

    Photos226

    Willem Dafoe in Platoon (1986)
    Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe in Platoon (1986)
    Charlie Sheen in Platoon (1986)
    Willem Dafoe in Platoon (1986)
    Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, and Willem Dafoe in Platoon (1986)
    Charlie Sheen in Platoon (1986)
    Charlie Sheen, Willem Dafoe, John C. McGinley, and Kevin Eshelman in Platoon (1986)
    Willem Dafoe in Platoon (1986)
    Tom Berenger and Mark Moses in Platoon (1986)
    Tom Berenger in Platoon (1986)
    Oliver Stone at an event for Platoon (1986)
    Willem Dafoe in Platoon (1986)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Charlie Sheen
    Charlie Sheen
    • Chris
    Tom Berenger
    Tom Berenger
    • Sgt. Barnes
    Willem Dafoe
    Willem Dafoe
    • Sgt. Elias
    Keith David
    Keith David
    • King
    Forest Whitaker
    Forest Whitaker
    • Big Harold
    Francesco Quinn
    Francesco Quinn
    • Rhah
    Kevin Dillon
    Kevin Dillon
    • Bunny
    John C. McGinley
    John C. McGinley
    • Sgt. O'Neill
    Reggie Johnson
    Reggie Johnson
    • Junior
    Mark Moses
    Mark Moses
    • Lt. Wolfe
    Corey Glover
    Corey Glover
    • Francis
    Johnny Depp
    Johnny Depp
    • Lerner
    Chris Pedersen
    Chris Pedersen
    • Crawford
    Bob Orwig
    Bob Orwig
    • Gardner
    Corkey Ford
    Corkey Ford
    • Manny
    David Neidorf
    David Neidorf
    • Tex
    Richard Edson
    Richard Edson
    • Sal
    Tony Todd
    Tony Todd
    • Warren
    • Director
      • Oliver Stone
    • Writer
      • Oliver Stone
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      According to Oliver Stone, he intentionally cast Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe against type. Berenger was mostly famous for playing good guys, while Dafoe had primarily played villains up until then. Both men received Oscar nominations for their work.
    • Goofs
      When the men are playing cards, one of the men is looking at a Playboy from March 1971, despite the film taking place in 1967.
    • Quotes

      [Refering to Vietnam]

      Chris Taylor: Somebody once wrote, "Hell is the impossibility of reason." That's what this place feels like. Hell.

    • Alternate versions
      TV version has much of its dialogue redubbed and shots refilmed, replacing such lines as "He thinks he's Jesus F---in' Christ!" with "He thinks he's George Freakin' Washington!"
    • Connections
      Edited into A Tour of the Inferno: Revisiting 'Platoon' (2001)
    • Soundtracks
      Adagio for Strings
      Written by Samuel Barber

      Arranged and Conducted by Georges Delerue

      Used by arrangement with G. Schirmer, Inc.

    User reviews673

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    9/10
    Still packs a punch 30 years on
    Ever since Steven Spielberg wowed the cinematic world and changed the aesthetic of the war movie forever with the exceptional opening 25 minutes of 1998's Saving Private Ryan - the film went downhill from there - audiences have come to expect the same grainy camera-work and ultra-realism of Spielberg's breathtaking vision whenever a battle is depicted. Anything else would be 'unrealistic', and many movies dated horribly almost overnight as a result. While Oliver Stone's Platoon, which was once considered difficult to watch due to its unflinching depiction of the insanity of war, may not seem quite as brutal as it used to, it possesses one thing that no war other movie can boast - the guiding hand of a veteran.

    Stone did a tour in Vietnam which ended in 1968, changing the future writer/director forever. Starting out life as a screenplay focusing on a soldier's experiences both before and during the war which had Jim Morrison touted for the lead, it evolved into a movie focused solely on a young volunteer's time spent in the sweaty, eternally damp jungle. Charlie Sheen's Chris Taylor is an obvious stand-in for Stone, and he arrives fresh-faced and eager to fight for his country. By the end, he is dazed and confused, and angry at the country who would send such "bottom of the barrel" men - invisible in society - into a world of such horror and meaningless bloodshed. It's an experience that moulded Stone into the one of the most outspoken voices in cinema.

    The casting of the two sergeants vying for Chris' soul is a stroke of genius. The platoon is made up of two main groups - the 'juicers', a collection of beer-swilling meat-heads seemingly intent on violence at every opportunity, and the 'heads', a more laid-back and weary bunch who are happiest when getting high and having a singalong. At the head of the juicers is Sgt. Barnes, played by Tom Berenger, an actor known for his heart-throb leading-man roles but here cast as a dead-eyed, heavily scarred brute. While Willem Dafoe, who was and still is known for his crazy-eyed villainous roles, plays the wiser, gentler leader of the heads, an all-round good guy battling his own demons. By toying with expectations, Stone adds layers to their characters, and they both received Best Actor nominations for their efforts.

    Yet what makes Platoon truly stand out 30 years after its release is the way Stone manages to transport the audience to that terrible place. It's teeming with dangers at every turn, be it the ants, the snakes or the Viet Cong better equipped for the harsh surroundings, the most frightening moment is when they fall asleep. And even when they awake, there's something moving in the shadows. The film never allows you to ever be at ease, despite the fun to be had with spotting the many famous faces dotted throughout the supporting cast. There are flaws, especially with some overacting from some of the supporting cast - in particular John C. McGinley - and Chris' unnecessary, rambling narration, but the movie packs such a punch that it's easy to forget these quibbles. It's a true insight into the mind of a grunt and how combat can have a lasting, eye-opening effect on those on the ground, and undoubtedly one of the most important war pictures ever to come out of the US.
    helpful•35
    7
    • tomgillespie2002
    • Oct 27, 2016

    FAQ15

    • At 20:13 In The Dead Of Night Deep In The Jungle How Is The Enemy Silhouetted?
    • Why is the helmet placed upside down in the poster?
    • Is "Platoon" based on a book?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 6, 1987 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • United Kingdom
    • Official site
      • Official Facebook
    • Languages
      • English
      • Vietnamese
    • Also known as
      • The Platoon
    • Filming locations
      • Philippines
    • Production companies
      • Hemdale
      • Cinema '84
      • Cinema 86
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $6,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $138,530,565
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $241,080
      • Dec 21, 1986
    • Gross worldwide
      • $138,545,632
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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